Senate Democrats are weighing whether President Joe Biden should use his final moments of power to issue preemptive pardons to shield those who could receive political retribution from President-elect Donald Trump.
The conversations come against the backdrop of Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail, in which he threatened to seek revenge on people he considers his political foes, referring to them as “enemies from within.”
These concerns have become even more elevated since announcing his picks for attorney general, Pam Bondi, and FBI director, Kash Patel, who have echoed Trump’s promises to imprison and prosecute political enemies who have skirted laws.
“There have certainly been discussions about this among some. How could there not be after all of the threats Trump has issued,” one Senate Democratic aide said, on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly…
